Unspoken rules

Ezra did not know what else to say; his brain was apparently taking a break. No matter how much he was trying to think of a suitable answer and evaluate why she was asking what she was asking, or what type of answer it was that she wanted; he came up with nothing. His brain was blank.

As Ezra looked at Daphne, he noted that she did not look surprised and that he could not really read her intentions. He was wondering if he had taken a wrong step by admitting he liked her.

In Ezra's observation of Daphne, she had a very direct, deliberate and cruel way of dealing with people that took interest in her. She would completely avoid them. In some of the surveillance, she could even be seen sporting a look of disgust toward them.

Daphne was beautiful and rich; this made her have many admirers, but she was so good and cold in shutting people down without the use of words, that few had the guts to overstep. And the ones that did try to overstep were treated with such a high amount of disgust and condescendence that they could not keep to it. And if even that failed, Daphne was a master of mixed martial arts; with minimum effort, she could incapacitate or immobilize almost anybody, in seconds.

The reason for Daphne's attitude was simple, she was indeed disgusted with people that flirted with her when they knew she was married.

Daphne considered people that did so, to not respect her, her husband or her social standing. Her married status could not be brought into question as she was always wearing her wedding band.

Daphne and people like Daphne were bred with a very strict set of morals, no matter how other people in her situation adapted to the rules of high society, inappropriate behavior was a clear sign of disrespect because even in cases where people were unmarried, there was a clear courtship process that dictated the rules of behavior when someone was interested.

Showing interest in someone was fine — if it was a gradual process — but too much, and too fast was deemed inappropriate. In general, flirting had much more subtlety in upper circles, and it demanded a degree of reciprocity in order to be carried on.

Ezra agreed with Daphne's reactions when he saw them, but he did not want to be subjected to them. He knew he was technically her husband, but some behaviors could become habits if someone keeps to them for a long time. And, in this case, Daphne always lost interested in people that filtrated or showed interest in her.

Admittedly he did not declare how much he likes her, and that it was an almost obsessive type of love and adoration.

"You do? Why?... How come?... Since when??" Daphne asked while Ezra was becoming a bubble of anxiety.

"Just know that I like you and that I have liked you for some time." Ezra sighed with emotion. "This should not be too surprising, as you are gorgeous."

"I don't get it." Daphne rebutted.

"I am not the only beautiful woman around, Ezra. I have given you no reason to like me."